New Peptide for Chronic Pain

New research has discovered a a new peptide for chronic pain that will short circuit a pathway for pain. This peptide will not cause reduced motor coordination, memory loss or depression.

The peptide, CBD3, does not directly block the flow of calcium in the body. This is important because the flow of calcium regulates heart rhythm and other important organ functions.

“After opioids – the gold standard for pain control – the next target is calcium channels,” said Dr. Rajesh Khanna, an assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. “Along the pain pathway in the spinal cord, there are pain-sensing neurons called nociceptors that have an abundance of calcium channels.”

Researchers hope that this discovery could lead to a development of new treatments for people suffering from chronic pain.